Thank God I'm Atheist

Frank and Dan explore why modern Mormon temple interiors resemble upscale hotel lobbies rather than awe-inspiring sacred spaces. They compare Mormon architecture with historic cathedrals, discuss the church's increasing architectural homogenization, and argue that Mormon aesthetics have become more corporate than spiritual. We also tease organizing a TGIA group visit when the renovated Salt Lake Temple opens to the public.
Also this week: Turkey bars an LGBTQ+ cruise from coming ashore, Indiana's lieutenant governor declares America a Christian nation, the Church of England stumbles into a conversion therapy controversy, a new poll reveals which religions Americans like (and really don't like), a MAGA preacher insists Jesus had a six-pack, and a Catholic hospital sale restores access to reproductive healthcare previously blocked by church doctrine.
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How do you tell the difference between a prophet and someone experiencing a delusion? This week, Frank and Dan explore the uneasy intersection of religion and mental illness, asking how believers decide whether a voice in someone's head is divine revelation or a symptom of psychosis.
Also this week: the Vatican excommunicates hundreds of traditionalist Catholics, a Mormon general authority apologizes after racist remarks about African American spirituals, Christian missionaries descend on Trump's sparsely attended America 250 celebration, FLDS leader Samuel Bateman is convicted on additional child abuse charges, scientists create a synthetic cell that can grow and divide, and the San Francisco Archdiocese agrees to a $395 million clergy abuse settlement.
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As America approaches its 250th birthday, we're asking a simple question: Is this what the Founders wanted? Christian nationalists insist the United States was established as a Christian nation, but what did the men who actually wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution believe? Frank and Dan separate historical fact from modern mythology while exploring whether the secular government envisioned by the Founders has drifted from its original course.
Also this week: a Mormon family sues a California school district over LGBTQ-inclusive lessons, the Supreme Court leaves a Rastafarian prisoner without a remedy after guards shaved his dreadlocks, Seattle's Pride World Cup match pits Iran against Egypt, reports of rising anti-Christian violence in Israel raise uncomfortable questions, Texas votes to require Bible stories in its public-school curriculum, and a gay Tennessee student reaches a settlement after being punished by her Christian school for coming out.

What happens to religion if humanity discovers we're not alone in the universe? This week, Frank and Dan explore one of the biggest theological questions imaginable: aliens. Would Christianity survive first contact? Would extraterrestrials need their own Jesus? Could they arrive with a religion more advanced than our own?
Along the way, we also discuss an Iranian singer punished for performing without a hijab, RFK Jr.'s push for faith-based addiction treatment, anti-Muslim opposition to a new Islamic center in New Mexico, Christian nationalism, and a bizarre fight over Bible verses on MLB Pride hats.

With Frank under the weather this week, Dan takes the reins solo for a special live-stream edition of Thank God I'm Atheist. Along the way he digs into Christian nationalists attempting to build a new religious stronghold in Washington state, revisits the ongoing debate over whether Mormons are considered Christian by their evangelical neighbors, and looks at Donald Trump's latest honor from an Orthodox Christian leader.
Dan also checks in on the Ark Encounter as it approaches its tenth anniversary, discusses new Catholic abuse-prevention guidelines, celebrates the return of the infamous Route 666 to Hell, and spends plenty of time chatting with listeners from around the world.
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